Super Full Cold Moon Rising Against “Belt of Venus” above Monsaraz

With the disk illuminated 98%, the photo shows the moon rising against the pink background from “Belt of Venus”, anti-twilight arch phenomenon, above Monsaraz and lake Alqueva, in Dark Sky® Alqueva reserve, one day before the “Full Cold Moon” of December – as it is known – reaches a 100% of light. It will also be the first (and last) “supermoon” of 2017. Supermoons happen when a full moon approximately coincides with the moon’s perigee, or a point in its orbit at which it is closest to Earth. This makes the moon appear up to 8 percent larger and 16 percent brighter than usual.